Dental apparatus



Feb. l2, 1935. R. KLlcKA 1,990,550

I DENTAL APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1.933l

L INVENTQR Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED" STATES PATENT oFFicfE l 1,990,550 DENTAL APPARATUS., Rudolph mieke, Pittsburgh, 1ra.; t ,Y application August s, 1933, seri-a1 .No."tsinszs claims. (01532-195 My invention relates to dentistry, and lcona Sists in instrumentalities Lfor and method of obtaining the true vbite" 'for the construction ofartificial teeth. A` K' In the accompanying drawing Fig. I is a view in side elevation lof dental instruments embody ing the invention; in this view the Inaudible of the patient is indicated in full lines, and his face in dotted lines. Fig. II'i's a view of an upper dental tray. comprising one element of my set of instruments, and Fig. III is 'a crosssectional View of the same, taken -on the plane VIII-III o'f Fig. II. Fig. is a View in plan from above of the `lower dental :tray of the set. Fig. V is an isometric view of a buccal spoon, two of which areincluded in each set of my instruments. Fig. VI is a view in plan from below of the Vupper dental tray, `showing-@nits surface Ia 'typical 'record of the movements of a patients mandible. And Fig. 'VII is a crosssectiona-l view, to larger scale, taken-on the plane VII-VII 'of Fig. I.

The set of dentalinstrum'ents `comprises an upper tray l which is shapedingeneral 'as shown in Figs. II and III. The trayvcomprises a portion la., adapted v'to receivea mound M of .wax compound or such 'other 'molding compound as is generally `used fto take a direct-impression of a patients mouth, and `a portion lb yadapted in service to extend from the mouth of vthe patient. The two portions la., lb conveniently extend in common plane, and, advantageously the side edges vof the tray are turned upward, to provide flanges 1c. The portion la of the tray is provided iivith.V a plurality of' orices 1d, in which the molding compound is adapted to nest (Fig. VII): the orifices 51d and anges 1c 'serve to secure the molding compound inl place. The tray -1 is formedof sheet steel, and `vis coated with baked white enamel. The 'nether surface of portion lo is treated with muriatic acid, to remove the glaze from 'the enamel, whereby it becomes a surface 'upon vwhich :pencil lines maybe recorded and clearly visible.

A ylower tray 12 -i's provided ff'or cooperation with tray 1. Tray '2"i`s fashioned of sheet stainless steel; it comprises an inverted channel having walls 2u, 2b, 2c shaped-.in plan vas vthe teeth of the lower jaw are aligned, and the channel is adapted to be 'charged-with molding compound N. The inner wall 2c of the channel is continuous with the horizontal wall 2b, while the outer wall 2a thereof is interrupted at the points 2d. A downward extending tongue 2e is formed as an integral continuation of the wall 2b, and

Suche tongue :is windowed to admit of the for'- mation of\'a 'flange' which serves at vvthe front of 'the 'tray as the Wall 52a serves along the outer sides Vthereoffto confine the molding compound N; A 'pencil cli-pv3` is secured in anyconvenient manner' upon the front face of tongue 2e, and in this clip a pencil 4 'is held, the pencil being positioned with` its 'point ldirected upward, -as indicated inv Fig. I.- An important feature of the tray 2 is found in the member'Zh which, formed lintegrally'with the tray, arches Vupward from the lower edge of the`wa1l-'2c. The member 2h serves as a Seat foi' a 'mound P of molding com-pound or other suitablemateriaL not necessarily molding compoundwhich lis yielding and 1 yet adapted to provide aesubs'tantial support for holding the twov trays `1, in proper spaced*- apart relation. An orifice 2701s formed in the arched member 2h, to -a'ssist"'in rsecuring the mound AP inv place.

Two Abuc'cal spoons of the structure shown in Fig. V are provided. As will presently 'appear in greater detail these `spoons are adapted to hold a charge of plaster in position in the patients ymoi'ith on `opposite sides of the trays 1, VA2.v Each spoon -5 comprises a body portion 5a having K-anges Bb formedralong its sides; an extension `c'ser'ves as -a hand-le "for the dentist using the'spoon; and the 'whole spoon structure isormedo'f s'he'et 'stainless steel, 'and is formed in such shape as to congure comfortably to the cheeks of the patient.'

According to usual practice, I `charge the 'trays l and 2 with"molding compound. Additionally,

I place 'a moundP 'offmolding lcompound or 3 other -fsuit'able material in the Vrecess Vprovided between the flange vl2c Vand member 2h, of the lowertray. `Then, AI position the trays in the patients mouth, andpress 'them into place over his gums (or teeth), as lindioat'ed 'in Fig.I.

The manner '-inwhicnthis Vis accomplished will be 'well 'understood iin the art, and requires no elaboration herein. It lis characteristic of my structure, however, 'that the low'erlip of the patient liesy between the 'tongue 2c and rflange 2b of the lower traypandthat amound P is organized between'the. plates or trays. The mound P. extends upward into. engagement with the bottom `of tray 1.,4 serving 'to hold the two 'trays 11, 2in pioper.'spaced-'apart relation, which relation, of course, depends in each case upon the structure of the patients mouth and jaw. When this relation has been determined, by having the patient place the condyles of his mandible in their normal seated positions, the

pencil 4 is adjusted in clip 3, so that its point rests against the recording surface on the bottom surface of tray 1. Then, I cause the patient to move his mandible backward and forward between straight protrusive and retrusive positions, the mound P riding against the nether face of the tray 1. Thus, I obtain on the recording surface a visible line 6, cf. Fig. VI.

Next, I instruct the patient to move his mandible to and fro between leftvlateral protrusive and retrusive positions in such manner that a line 7 is scribed upon the recording surface of tray 1. Then a similar oscillation of the mandible to the right is effected, and a line 8 is recorded. It will be observed that in this manner I obtain a plurality of substantially linear lines on the recording surface of tray `1`; due to the spacer mound P the oscillations" of the mandible are effected in a substantially horizontal plana or a single plane; the several directionsof oscillation or reciprocation of. the mandible extend angularly one, to the other, andthe recorded lines thereofmeet at a point 9 ofv intersection. 'Ihe point 9 is aperfect center, or point'of reference, tobe used inthe "construction of. a plate o f. artificial teeth-the` point 9 visibly indicates the true bite of the ,patientsjaws c a When the point 9 has been obtained, I fill the two buccal spoons 5withr plasterl 1,0 (or other suitable material), and insertthern in the patients mouth, along the Vopposite sides of the trays 1, 2. I so adjust the patients jaws that the pencil is directedimmediately to the visible reference point 9, .and I instruct the patient. tov bite hard, bringingl pressure to bear upon the mound Poi compression or molding compound. Thisbitingpressure reacts to force the patients condyles upward into seated positions and brings his mandible into desired position of vertical adjustment, while by means of point 9 proper horizontal registration of the jaws is obtained. With the mandiblemaintained in such position the plaster l is hardened along the opposite edges and betweenv the registered traysl, 2, as indicated in Fig. VII. Accordingly, themolding units Mk and-N, conforming `to the upperand lowerr impressions UV and L of the patients mouth, are temporarily integrated in proper registration. The integrated structure isethen -removed from the mouth, andthe construction of the articial teeth maybe accomplished in manner well understood in theart. The provision of the visible point 9cf reference-Y-indicative of the true bite of the patientis so faras I know the most accurate and effective method of reproducing a patients bite in the usual articulating frame (not shown).

I may remark that the tray 2 shown inthe drawing is the trayemployed when the patient has had his lower set of teeth removed. However, if his lower set of teeth havefnot been removed, andl he is `to ,obtain only -an vupper set of articial teeth, I provide a lower tray which is substantially of the sameconstruction as the tray 2, but is relatively larger,yto accomodate the natural teeth in the Inaudible.: c

. vIt will be understood, therefore, that my invention permits the practice ofthe above-described technique in cases where only one set of artificial teeth (lower or upper) is to be provided in a mouth which still retains one sound set (upper or lower) of natural teeth.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of obtaining bite for the construction of articial teeth, which method comprises severally tting two rigid trays including impression compound to the upper and lower jaws of the patient, causing. the patient to close his jaws and force said trays against compressible spacingmeans, andthereby automatically spacing said trays vertically in substantially fixed relative positions relational to the normal or natural spacing of the patients jaws, recording the movements of the lower jaw between central and lateral protrusive and retrusive positions, and thereby obtaining a visible point of reference, maintaining the jaws of the patient in horizontalregistry by reference to said point,

and, by causing the patient to bite hardv against said spacing means, forcing his condyles upward. into Vseated positions, and, ywhile maintaining such relation of the jaws, casting and hardening a mass of binder along each of the opposite sides of and between said trays.

` v2I..The method of obtainingv ,"bite for the construction of artificial teeth,l which method comprises fitting a rigid tray including impression compound to each of the upper and lower jaws vof. Vthe patient, causing the patient to close his --jaws `and force said trays against a compressible spacing mass, and thereby automatically spacing the trays vertically in substantially fixed relative positions relational to the normal or natural spacing ofthe patients jaws, recording the movements of the lower jaw relatively to the upper andftherebyy obtaining a visible point of reference, maintainingjthe jaws of the patient in horizontal registry yby'reference to said point,and, by causingthepatient to close his jaws and exert compression upon said spacing mass, forcing his condylesupward'into.seated positions, and, while maintaining such relation of. the jaws, casting andvhardening a mass of binder along each of the opposite sides of and between said trays. y f f 3. The method of obtaining bite for the construction of articial teeth, which-method comprises'fitting a rigid tray including impression compound to each .of the upper and lower jaws of the patient, causing the patient to close his jaws and force said -trays against a compressible supporting mass, `and thereby automatically spacing the trays` vertically in substantially iixed relative positions relational to the normal or natural spacing of the patients jaws, recording; the movements of the lower jaw relatively to they upper and thereby obtaining a visible point of reference,-maintaining the jaws ofthe patient in horizontalvregistry by reference to said-point, `and, yby causing. the Ypatient to close his jaws and exert compression upon said supporting mass,.forcing his condyles upward into seated positions, and, while maintaining such relation of the jaws, casting and hardening a mass of binder inca buccal spoon along each -of the opposite sides of said trays, and thereupon removing as a unitthe so yintegrated trays, spoons, and binder from the mouth of the patient.

RUDOLPH KLICKA. 

